Jackie Robinson would have played for the Giants. He retired months before the trade and didn't make it public due to he promised a young journalist exclusive rights for when he decided to go public. He wrote a letter to the Giants admitting he would love to play for them. He never got along with O'Malley, Campanella or Newcombe either so he woulda loved to beat those three. O'Malley wanted him gone a year earlier but was talked into keeping him. This whole loyalty thing towards Brooklyn was created by his wife.

You are probably right. The Giants certainly were a team that embraced integration. The version I have always heard is part Dodgers-fan party line. My father grew up a big Dodgers fan in New Jersey, and I gave him a copy of the Jackie Robinson autobiography for Chriistmas the year it came out, about the time of his death, but I don't remember anything contradicting his wife's story about bleeding Dodger Blue and hating the Giants, which, frankly, wasn't what I initially believed until my father shared with me his Jackie Robinson mythology.

You are probably right. The Giants certainly were a team that embraced integration. The version I have always heard is part Dodgers-fan party line. My father grew up a big Dodgers fan in New Jersey, and I gave him a copy of the Jackie Robinson autobiography for Chriistmas the year it came out, about the time of his death, but I don't remember anything contradicting his wife's story about bleeding Dodger Blue and hating the Giants, which, frankly, wasn't what I initially believed until my father shared with me his Jackie Robinson mythology.

I'm looking forward to the new movie with Harrison Ford although after viewing the trailer I have my doubts on it. I wish Hollywood wouldn't make movies about players like Ruth, Cobb and hopefully not the Jackie Robinson (42) movie so one sided. I'm curious on which players they will call out for being racist and the whole PeeWee Reese hug never happened but I guarantee they will have that in the movie. I think the movie will end up being a recruitment type of movie to try and get younger African Americans involved in baseball again.

I'm looking forward to the new movie with Harrison Ford although after viewing the trailer I have my doubts on it. I wish Hollywood wouldn't make movies about players like Ruth, Cobb and hopefully not the Jackie Robinson (42) movie so one sided. I'm curious on which players they will call out for being racist and the whole PeeWee Reese hug never happened but I guarantee they will have that in the movie. I think the movie will end up being a recruitment type of movie to try and get younger African Americans involved in baseball again.

I think there is overwhelming evidence that it did in fact happen. Jackie even mentioned it happening in an article written around 1953. There is some question as to when it happened. The folklore would say it occurred in Cincinnati in 1947 but Robinson and others recall it happening in Boston in 1948. There is SOME evidence for it happening in 1947 though. This is a good article about it:http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-04-...rs-strike-out/

I think there is overwhelming evidence that it did in fact happen. Jackie even mentioned it happening in an article written around 1953. There is some question as to when it happened. The folklore would say it occurred in Cincinnati in 1947 but Robinson and others recall it happening in Boston in 1948. There is SOME evidence for it happening in 1947 though. This is a good article about it:http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-04-...rs-strike-out/

Well I shouldn't have said it never happened because it could have but really Eddie Stanky was the one who first came to accept Robinson as a teammate, and he's the one who is actually known for putting his arm around Robinson during the 1947 season. I think alot of people use Reese for this story because he was alot more popular with writers and fans. Pee Wee Reese never recalled this even happened but they did become close during the 1948 season and Reese was well known to pat teammates on their backs too. Actually what Eddie Stanky did was far more impressive due to he was from the deep south and lived there during the off season so for a deepsoutherner in 1947 to do that took alot of guts. I guess it is one of those things like the Ruth called shot which nobody will ever really know for sure.

Well I shouldn't have said it never happened because it could have but really Eddie Stanky was the one who first came to accept Robinson as a teammate, and he's the one who is actually known for putting his arm around Robinson during the 1947 season. I think alot of people use Reese for this story because he was alot more popular with writers and fans. Pee Wee Reese never recalled this even happened but they did become close during the 1948 season and Reese was well known to pat teammates on their backs too. Actually what Eddie Stanky did was far more impressive due to he was from the deep south and lived there during the off season so for a deepsoutherner in 1947 to do that took alot of guts. I guess it is one of those things like the Ruth called shot which nobody will ever really know for sure.

Stanky helped matters but Reese accepted Robinson pretty quickly. At the end of Robinson's first season in the minors in 1946 a sports writer asked Reese how he felt about Robinson potentially coming to the majors and maybe even taking Reese's spot at shortstop and Reese said "If he is better than me then he is entitled to my spot." Durocher also played a big role in the acceptance of Robinson in spring training by quashing the petition to not allow Robinson to play. Durocher pretty much said "He's coming, get used to it. Oh, he will also help us win a pennant and get you guys a bonus."

Stanky helped matters but Reese accepted Robinson pretty quickly. At the end of Robinson's first season in the minors in 1946 a sports writer asked Reese how he felt about Robinson potentially coming to the majors and maybe even taking Reese's spot at shortstop and Reese said "If he is better than me then he is entitled to my spot." Durocher also played a big role in the acceptance of Robinson in spring training by quashing the petition to not allow Robinson to play. Durocher pretty much said "He's coming, get used to it. Oh, he will also help us win a pennant and get you guys a bonus."

Thats not as true as it may seem. Reese admitted in the 1950's that it took him awhile to warm up to Robinson. He didn't hate him, like some teammates, but Reese didn't go out of his way to befriend him early on either. Around 1949, Reese and Robinson genuinely started becoming friends and were very close late in life. But not in 1947 when this hug may have taken place. Which I don't believe it did.

When Reese was later interviewed about Robinsons first year he made a point of saying publicy-even at least once to Robinsons face-that he didn't go out of his way to treat Jackie differently. Robinson respected Reese for being honest about this.

Eddie Stanky deff was looking out for Robinson but I don't really know what to think about that because 1947 was the year Durocher was suspended and I think Durocher told Stanky to look out for Robinson due to Stanky was Durochers right hand man. But Stanky was very vocal about blacks in baseball so unless he had a change of heart, I think Durocher persuaded Stanky to try and make things easier for Robinson.

Durocher did say that if anyone didn't like having Robinson on the team they would be gone and Stanky was gone in 1949. I really don't know why Stanky left but I kinda feel it was because of Robinson.

I think in this new movie Hollywood will show that the Dodger players treated him bad when Robinson first joined the team but will end up showing that the Dodgers banded around Robinson in 1947 which isn't the case at all.